Process of and apparatus for manufacturing soap



(-No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l. M. B. SHERWOOD, Jr., 82; G. O. PARNSWORTH. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SOAP.

Patented Jan.30,1883.

N, PETERS, Plwlu-Lnhcgmpher. Wishmglun. D c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

M. B. SHERWOOD, J1 & G. O. PARNSWORTH. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SOAP.

No. 271,281. Patented Jan.30, 1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEtcE.

MERRILL B. snERwooD, JR, AND GEORGE o. FARXSWORTH, or BUFFALO,

i NEW Y()RK.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SOAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,281, dated January 30, 1883, Application filed September 529, 1882. (No model.)

10- all whom it may concern Beit k now-n that we, MERRILL B. SHERWOOD, Jr., and GEORGE O. FARNSWORTH, citizens of the United States, both residing at Buffalo, in 5 thecountyoi'Erieand Slate ofNew York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes ofand Apparatus for Manufacturng Soap; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which 1 form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates more particularly to the process of andapparatus for manipulating the previously-prepared soap-liquor in the operation of converting it into bars or cakes.

It is a well-known fact that soap made in the ordinary way, taken from the kettle and cooled in frames, and then cutinto bars or cakes will while drying warp out of shape. This is owing to the formation ofa shellof hard soap of 2 variable thickness on the outside of the bar or cake, while the inside remains softand pliable. To obviate this difficulty it is now common to take the soap, when it has been allowed to hard-- en after boiling, and cut itiuto thin shavings.

0 These shavings are thoroughly dried and then pulverized, producing a dry powder of soap. This powder isthen moistened sufficiently to enable it to be manipulated into lumps of the required quantity, from which the bars or cakes 3 5 are pressed in suitable apparatus for the purpose.

It will clearly be seen from the foregoing description that much valuable time and labor are consumed in the preparation of this dry pow- 4o der from which the bars or cakes of soap are to be formed, and the employment of heavy and expensive machinery is also involved.

The objectot' our invention is to produce this dry powder ot' soap with much less time and 5 labor than are now employed, and with agreat saving in machinery and tools; and to that endit consists broadly in the process of taking the previously-prepared soap, in the hot liquid state as it comes from the kettle, and convertmg it into a fine spray andallowing such sprayed oratomiz'ed soap-liquor to pass through and in con tact with the atmosphere a distance sufficient to convert it into a powder before reaching the surface, from which it is to be collected for conversion into bars. or cakes by 5 5' any of the well-known processes.

- We will now proceed to describe the apparatus which we have devised for carrying out our improved process, which apparatus also forms apart of our invention, it being understood that such apparatus is susceptible of considerable variation withoutdeparting from the spirit of our invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation partly in section of one form of our improved 6 apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of a modification of our improved apparatus; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same.

Referring to the drawings, a is the kettle in which the soap-liquor is boiled by means of heat from the furnace a. A pipe leads from this kettle to the pump b.

c is a steam-boiler, which supplies the steam for the pump through the pipe 0. 7 cl is the discharge-pipe leading from the pump, through which the soap-liquor passes.

c is a steam-jacket, which surrounds the discharge-pipe d and serves to keep the soapliquor at the proper temperature and consist- 8o ency until it leaves the pipe d, as will be hereinafter more fully described. This jacketis supplied with steam from the boiler a through the pipe 0 c is the stop-cock to regulate the supply of steam, and c is an openingin the lower end of the jacket 0, through which the condensed steam is discharged.

The apparatus thus far described is located in the compartmentf. Through the partition f, separating the compartmentffrom the adjoining com partment f passes the jacket 6 and its inclosed disch arge-pipe d in a horizontal direction at a suitable distance from the floor of thecompartment. The dischargepipediscontin ued beyond the jacket 6. as clearly shown at 9 5 d in Figs. 1 and 2, and is perforated with fine holes on the top and-sides of the pipe.

The operation ofthe apparatus j ustdescribed is as follows: The pump 1) being setin motion,

the soap-liquor is forced from the kettle a ro through the pump and into the dischargepipe cl, the soap-liquor, in its passage through the pipe (I, being kept at the proper temperature and consistency by the steam in the jacket .mation of the soap-powder.

c. When the soap-liquor reaches the perforated end (1 of pipe (I it is forced therefrom upward and outward in the form of a fine spray, as clearly shown at g. This spray, in.

if necessary, the air may be heated to a high temperature by steam-pipes, or in any other suitable manner, in order to facilitate the for- The powder thus produced is then collected and moistened sufficiently to enable it to be formed into bars or cakes. by molding under pressure in any well-known manner.

In Figs. 3 and 4 we have shown a modified form of apparatus for spraying or atomizin g the soap-liquor, in which the jacket 0 and its inclosed discharge-pipe d, after entering the compartment 1'', pass along the floor at one side of the compartment, and have one or more vertical branches, 0, rising from the floor to a suitable height. The dischargepipc dis ex: tended a short distance in a vertical direction beyond the cap at the end of the jacket, and is formed at its end into a small tapering opening, d. A small pipe, h, is located upon the cap at the top of the steam-jacket, and communicates with the interior thereof. Thispipe h is provided with a stop-cock, h, to turn the steam from the jacket 6 on or off. The pipe h is constructed as shown, so that when the steam is turned on it blows across the top of the opening d in the pipe d.

Theoperation is brieflyas follows: The soapliquor is forced through the pipe d in the same manner as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and just asit reaches the opening at the steam from thejacket e is turned on by means of the stopcock h, which serves to blow the escapingsoapliquorin the form of a spray, which is converted intosoap-powder in the manner hereinbetore w described. Where steam is employed in spraying or atomizing the soap-liquor proper means should be taken to remove from the compartment'as much as possible of the steam, in order that the atmosphere through which the spray falls may be kept practically free from moisture. This could be done by providing a proper suction through openings in the com- 'partment.

We claim 1. In the manufacture of soap, the process of converting the previously-prepared soapliquor into a powder, from which it is to be molded into bars or cakes, consisting substantially as follows: taking the previously-prepared soap in the hot liquid state and converting it into a fine spray, and allowing such sprayed or atomized soap-liquor to pass through and in contact with the atmosphere a distance suflicient to convert it into a powder before reaching the surface from which itis to be collected for conversion into bars or cakes, substantially as shown and described.

2. In the manufacture of soap, the apparatus for converting the previously-prepared soapliquor into a powder, from whichit is to be molded into bars or cakes, consisting substan: tially as follows: the pump for forcing the soap-liquor, the pipe or other conduit for conveying the forced soap-liquor to the proper height, and having at its end or ends means for spraying the soap-liquor, and the steamtight jacket surrounding such pipeor conduit tor-keeping the soap-liquor at a proper temshown and described.

3. In the manufacture of soap, the apparatus for converting the previously-prepared soap-liquor into a powder, from which it is to be molded into bars or cakes, consisting of the following instrumentalities, viz: the kettle a, the pump 1), the discharge-pipe d, with its perforated end (1, the steam-jacket e, surrounding the pipe d, and the steam-boiler c, all arranged,as shown, in the eompartmentsf and f, and combined and operating substantially asshown described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MERRILL B. sunnwoon, JR GEORGE (J. FARNSWORTH.

Witnesses:

WM. W. KENT, W. T. MILLER.

'perature and consistency, substantially as 

